Thompson Twins, "Love Is the Law"

As a reference for Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 7.31:

When you're young, you're also easily influenced. Even when I ended up at a fancy prep school, full of fancy people, I would still find myself influenced by people with absolutely no morals at all.

The people I thought of as my friends would bicker, slander, and manipulate. They were great about appearing decent, and then they would act in the most indecent of ways. Most of them went on to being important, because they were clever. Only a few went on to being good, because they had character. The former appear every year in the Alumni Notes. The latter are forgotten.

I spent many years fighting the influence of greed, of malice, and of entitled ideology. It was never easy, because there was always a certain image to be associated with being special. It was about the books you read, the clothes you wore, and the music you listened to. It was hard to keep up.

I remember still being proud of loving my favorite band from middle school, the Thompson Twins. A pop band? Yes. Totally easy to enjoy? Absolutely. Considered acceptable by the alternative crowd? Not at all.

This song appeared, and I loved it so much. My peers looked down at me, and told me that I had sold out. Sold out to what, I wondered? Was it because the music itself was bad? Was it the message in the lyrics? Or was it because it didn't fit the fashion of the day, to make me angry, dissatisfied, and indignant?

Was it perhaps because the special folks don't believe in love? Maybe conflict is what they crave.

The message of this song, however poppy the music, or however naïve the content, kept me going through it all.

Thompson Twins, "Love Is the Law", from Here's to Future Days (1985)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maWP3euIYB0

Have you heard that

Love, love, love is the law
Don't you know that
Love is the law
Love, love, love is the law
Have you heard that
Love is the law

People fighting in the name of freedom
Sometimes I wonder if we really need 'em
Have you heard the rumor going 'round
There's gonna be big changes in this town
And there'll be no more fighting, no more fuss
You'd better listen to us
 
Have you heard that

Love, love, love is the law
Don't you know that
Love is the law

Fighting in the name of religion
Another senseless contradiction
So when you feel like getting rough 'n' tough
Remember no excuse is good enough
You better start giving more than you take
Or something just might break

Have you heard that

Love, love, love is the law
Don't you know that
Love is the law

Fighting to prevent a war
Why should we do it anymore
I know we can live here side by side
Not just a few in front and most behind
This world is big enough for everyone
C'mon let's have some fun

Have you heard that

Love, love, love is the law
Don't you know that
Love is the law